Joseph t



(Modem I J. T. .HAINES & H. M. S TRATTON.

Trace Clip and Hook.

No. 240,123. Patented April-12,1881.

ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES a g N PETERS, FND

NITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH T. HAINES AND HORATIO M. STRATTON, OF SWEDESBOROUGH, N. J.

TRACE CLIP AND HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,123, dated April 12, 1881. Application filed March 7, 1881. (ModeL) To all whom it'mag concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH T. HAINES and HORATIO M. STRATTON, of Swedesborough, in the county of Gloucester and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trace Clips and Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of harness in which half-chains are used for the traces, and it has for its object the production of a cheap and durable loop or clip and hook which can be easily fastened, and which will be secure against casual unfastening without the employment of a spring or similar device, the loop or clip serving at the same time as a ring by which the trace is held up by the hip-strap of the harness.

The invention consists, principally, of a bifurcated loop or clip adapted to be riveted to the end of the leather trace, the ring thereof being formed with a reduced portion adapted to receive or pass into the hook at that point only.

The invention also consists in the clip having a ring formed with a reduced portion, in combination with the hook, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved clip and hook, and Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof, partly in section.

Similar letters of "reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the clip orloop, which is formed of a single piece of metal, having an extension which is bifurcated, and the parts a a thereof are provided with the rivet-holes a a a, by which the clip or loop is secured to the end of the short leather trace B. The ring or loop portion d of the clip is formed with the reduced portion d near the top or upper side of the ring, near the point where the hip-strap D is secured to the loop.

B represents the hook, which is secured to the end of the chain E, which is attached to the Whiffletree. The opening or mouth I) ofthe hook is of such size relative to the size of the reduced portion d of the ring portion of the clip and to the larger portion thereof that the hook can be engaged and disengaged with the clip only at the reduced portion d, and this portion of the ring being at the upper side of the clip, it will be perceived that all danger of accidental disengagement of the parts of the trace is obviated, and this without the use of springsor similar device, as heretofore.

The parts of the trace can be easily connected with each other and disconnected by simply bringing the mouth or opening b of the hook to the upper side of the loop and passing the reduced portion of the latter through the mouth of the hook.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The clip A, formed with the bifurcated extensions to a, and with the ring or loop portion 01, having the reduced portion d near the top or upper side of the ring or loop, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The clip A, formed with the bifurcated extensions a a. and with the ring or loop portion 01, having the reduced portion d near its top or upper side, in combination with the hook B, having the mouth I) of such size relative to the size of the reduced and large portions of the loop or ring that the same can be engaged and disengaged only at the point of the reduced portion, substantially as shown and described.

JOSEPH T. HAINES. HORATIO M. STRATTON.

Witnesses:

J. GOTTSHALK, 0. P. SHIVERS. 

